honorable mention
Manuel Sechi united kingdom
Photo © Manuel Sechi
title
Framed by Walls
This series isolates the tower blocks from their surroundings, presenting them against neutral skies and stark light. Removed from the city’s bustle, they emerge as sculptural forms—monolithic yet intimate. By emphasizing geometry, repetition, and texture, the images invite viewers to see these familiar buildings with fresh eyes, uncovering the artistry in their design.
The project explores how architecture frames not only space but also the lives within it. In post-war London, public housing symbolized progress and collective care; today, it is too often associated with marginalization. The façades of these buildings silently project assumptions about those who inhabit them. By stripping away contextual distractions, the series allows both the forms and the social narratives they carry to be examined more clearly.
Absences within the frame—playgrounds, satellite dishes, signs of daily life—become as meaningful as what is present. The viewer is invited to consider the human stories behind the walls and to reflect on the cultural biases projected onto these spaces.
Framed by Walls is not a nostalgic ode to Brutalism or concrete. It is a visual investigation into how architecture shapes perception, identity, and social narrative. Through these images, the series gives overlooked buildings the space to assert their presence and invites a reconsideration of the lives they quietly frame.
https://manuelsechi.com/framed-by-walls
Rather than searching for a defining image, I apply the same visual gesture to different subjects, allowing meaning to emerge through comparison and accumulation.
My interest lies in systems rather than exceptions. I approach subjects not as objects to be interpreted, but as structures to be observed under consistent conditions. By applying a fixed point of view across multiple instances, I aim to reduce narrative and emphasis, shifting attention away from the singular image toward the relationships between images.
I do not explore subjects through variation of angles or perspectives. Instead, I repeat a single viewpoint, treating each image as one element within a larger system. The resulting series are not meant to describe places or celebrate forms, but to examine how repetition alters perception and gradually neutralizes distinction.
I work primarily in black and white to limit expressive variables and to keep the focus on structure, proportion, and rhythm. The images are conceived as interchangeable elements within a system rather than as autonomous statements.
My practice is slow and cumulative. Projects evolve through sustained observation and careful editing, with an emphasis on coherence and restraint.
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entry description
In London, council housing tower blocks are more than mere buildings—they are markers of identity, class, and community. Often overlooked or dismissed as symbols of neglect, these structures carry layers of social and architectural meaning, shaped by decades of urban change.This series isolates the tower blocks from their surroundings, presenting them against neutral skies and stark light. Removed from the city’s bustle, they emerge as sculptural forms—monolithic yet intimate. By emphasizing geometry, repetition, and texture, the images invite viewers to see these familiar buildings with fresh eyes, uncovering the artistry in their design.
The project explores how architecture frames not only space but also the lives within it. In post-war London, public housing symbolized progress and collective care; today, it is too often associated with marginalization. The façades of these buildings silently project assumptions about those who inhabit them. By stripping away contextual distractions, the series allows both the forms and the social narratives they carry to be examined more clearly.
Absences within the frame—playgrounds, satellite dishes, signs of daily life—become as meaningful as what is present. The viewer is invited to consider the human stories behind the walls and to reflect on the cultural biases projected onto these spaces.
Framed by Walls is not a nostalgic ode to Brutalism or concrete. It is a visual investigation into how architecture shapes perception, identity, and social narrative. Through these images, the series gives overlooked buildings the space to assert their presence and invites a reconsideration of the lives they quietly frame.
https://manuelsechi.com/framed-by-walls
about the photographer
I work on photographic projects built around repetition and constraint.Rather than searching for a defining image, I apply the same visual gesture to different subjects, allowing meaning to emerge through comparison and accumulation.
My interest lies in systems rather than exceptions. I approach subjects not as objects to be interpreted, but as structures to be observed under consistent conditions. By applying a fixed point of view across multiple instances, I aim to reduce narrative and emphasis, shifting attention away from the singular image toward the relationships between images.
I do not explore subjects through variation of angles or perspectives. Instead, I repeat a single viewpoint, treating each image as one element within a larger system. The resulting series are not meant to describe places or celebrate forms, but to examine how repetition alters perception and gradually neutralizes distinction.
I work primarily in black and white to limit expressive variables and to keep the focus on structure, proportion, and rhythm. The images are conceived as interchangeable elements within a system rather than as autonomous statements.
My practice is slow and cumulative. Projects evolve through sustained observation and careful editing, with an emphasis on coherence and restraint.
back to gallery
